Ten years ago, the family of Barbara J. Curran Golby decided to honor her memory by establishing an annual scholarship for students who are studying to be certified nursing assistants or CNAs.
Recently, family members decided to make additional contributions so that the scholarship through the Black Hawk College East Foundation would be endowed.
“That way, the scholarship, and our mother’s memory, will live on for many years and help those who need it,” said her son, Marty Golby.
The new, endowed Barbara J. Curran Golby Memorial Healthcare Scholarship is a $500 award available to students in the college’s Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program as well as nursing students.
Golby was a nurse in the Kewanee area for nearly 50 years and spent the last 10 years of her career teaching CNA students at the Black Hawk College East Campus.
For the new scholarship, preference will be given to applicants who are from Neponset, are single parents and/or demonstrate financial need.
“My mom was the youngest of eight children, and her father died when she was three, so she was raised on a farm in rural Neponset by a single mother,” Marty Golby said.
“She was always sensitive to the needs of those who were less fortunate, and Mom knew that getting an education was the best way to help improve a person’s life,” he said.
Over the last 10 years, the Golby family has enjoyed connecting with the students who have benefitted from their generosity.
“We have had the privilege of meeting a few of the scholarship recipients and hearing about their lives,” Golby said.
“It’s always great to hear of their hard work and determination, sometimes overcoming a number of challenges while reaching goals that they didn’t previously imagine for themselves,” he said.
The Black Hawk College East Foundation thanks the Golby family – Marty and Susan Golby, Carol Golby-Saunders and David Saunders, Julie and Doug O’Riley, and their father, the late John Golby – for investing in Black Hawk College students and helping them become health care professionals.
The eight-week Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program trains students to work as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who assist nurses in direct patient care. Scholarship applicants also can be in the one-year Practical Nursing (LPN) certificate program or the two-year Associate Degree Nursing (RN) program.
For a scholarship application or more information, visit the Black Hawk College East Foundation Student Scholarships page or contact the Black Hawk College East Foundation Office at 309-854-1715.